Photograph
by GreyEyesGlaringAtShonda
Summary: Meredith reminisces over a photograph, Meredith POV. Read, review, enjoy.
1. Chapter 1

Photograph

By **greyeyedgirl**

Written December 27th, 2005, 8:23 PM

Author's Note: Slightly inspired by the really good song, "Photograph," by Nickelback.

A Grey's Anatomy Fanfiction

Summary: Meredith reminisces over a photograph, Meredith POV. Read, review, enjoy.

The little girl in the picture wasn't just smiling, she was glowing with her laughter. Her head was leaned against her father Thatcher's shoulder, she could remember him laughing as her hair tickled his face.

Six-year-old Meredith looked remarkably like 26-year-old Meredith. Her blondish-brown hair hung over her shoulders, her gray eyes twinkling. Her dad used to tease her about her eyes. "Grey eyes, Grey girl."

The picture had been taken almost a year after her parents' divorce. She could remember the divorce, if she tried. Her father hysterical, her mother firm, as she dragged a tearful, confused Meredith out of their sprawling house. "But Mommy, where are we going?"

"Boston."

Her father had, to her mother's fury, insisted on visitation rights. Meredith closed her eyes, as she remembered the fateful day that would come every year, about a week after school ended for the summer. Her mother would bustle her around, checking her suitcase and unpacking stuffed animals. The house would be even tenser on those days, she could see the shield in her mother's eyes as she told her stiffly to have fun as Meredith left to get on the plane to go to Seattle.

It was during her first summertime visit to her father's new house that that particular photograph had been taken. She hadn't seen her dad since Christmas, her mother had decided to work, so she had come to stay with her dad in Seattle for a week. But now it was summer, and Meredith had arrived off the long plane ride to her dad's waiting arms, yelling "Daddy!" right into his ear as he whipped her off the ground into a hug. He had grabbed her suitcase and the pink stuffed elephant ("Millie,") she had brought with her on the plane. "So where d'ya wanna go, Grey girl?"

"The ferryboats!" Meredith squealed. He had whisked her into his car and they'd driven to the harbor, where they boarded the ferry. Her father had handed her a tiny box, she'd ripped it open and grinned at him, lifting the silver locket out of it's case. "Silver's like gray, right, sweetie?" He had said, laughing. "A pretty grey present for my pretty Grey girl." She had beamed at him, as he hooked the clasp around her neck, then asked another person above the ferry to take their picture. And there it was, just over 20 years later, with a fully-grown Meredith looking down on it.

Her father looked more tired in the picture than she remembered, his brown eyes had sparkled that day but now merely crinkled into a smile. She could remember being happy when the picture was taken, but looking at the picture, she had been glowing. The wind had blown her father's light brown hair up, and his arm was draped loosely around her. The Pacific Ocean glittered in the background, only a few shades brighter than the light blue sky. It struck Meredith that the locket looked reflective, it hit her hard as she looked into a mirror that told only the truth. Pictures didn't lie, did they?

Her dad had got cancer right after she turned 13. It hadn't killed him, but it had given him a hell of a run for it. He had moved to Canada right before she turned 16, and she had stopped going to see him not long after that. For some reason, at that time everything had struck as too hard, and nothing was worth it. She'd started to drink and go to parties, and sometime after she'd turned 11 she'd began to loose herself, the bubbly little girl now lived only in a photograph. Everything had started to go wrong, and she felt herself hating her mother. A surgeon's life was a harsh one, and her mother had allowed no place in it for a little girl. Meredith had found herself not caring, as she started to mess around at school, and sarcastic comments had worked themselves into her thoughts. It had annoyed her mother, as she waited for the 'phase' to end, but Meredith had fallen deeper and deeper into herself, and had felt hapless with what she had found. The little girl who beamed and brought a stuffed elephant onto airplanes had disappeared, and only logical, protective Meredith was left. Grown-up Meredith looked down at the picture and felt tears fill her eyes, as she inspected the photograph with a surgeon's care. When had little Meredith died? When had she become who she was today? She looked down at the photograph, then looked closely at her present self. Maybe they _were_ the same person. She knew she had some of her parents in her, she could sense twinges of her mother and father's presence, but could feel Meredith inside her as well. Meredith Grey, her father's Grey girl and her mother's burden. She looked down at the photograph and smiled at the small little girl reflected at her. Maybe that _was_ her. Maybe there was a connection between them. Meredith felt herself drifting away as she lost herself in the little grey-eyed-girl with her father's smile stuck permanently in place. She hoped there was.

Authors note: Sorry for the awkward ending, I couldn't get it to go right. This was just drabble fic, but I hope you didn't hate it too much. Review please, but if you're critical please leave a SUGGESTION not just a mean remark. Anyway, thanks for reading! **greyeyedgirl**


	2. Chapter 2

**Title: Photograph**

**Chapter: 2**

**Author: greyeyedgirl**

**Disclaimer: This fic is in no way affiliated with Grey's Anatomy, ABC, or Shonda Rhimes. This fic is the result of my imagination, nothing else. **

Meredith set the picture of her and her father back in the photo album, going to shut the book.

"Whatcha doin, Mer?" Meredith's head shot up as her tall, blonde roommate sauntered into the room. She sat down on the floor next to Meredith in the attic of their house, looking over Meredith's shoulder at the photo. "Is that you?"

"Uh huh, me and my dad."

Izzie laughed. "Your dad looks like George!"

"I think it's George that looks like my dad," Meredith corrected dryly.

"Who's in that one?" Izzie asked, as she flipped the page and pointed at the next photo. Meredith hesitated.

"That picture was taken in...um, 1991, I think? I was 12. That girl to the left of me, that's Jaime Robinson. The one on the right is Darcy Jacobs."

"Where are you guys?"

"Outside my school, Boston Prep. We were about to go to Jaime's Christmas party."

"Did you guys have fun? Tell me about what happened."

_It was December 19th, 1991. The Boston air had been cold, and they'd all been bundled up, Meredith in her white down jacket, earmuffs blocking her hearing. Jaime's dark hair was falling down her red coat, and Darcy's thin blonde hair was hanging loosely over her black coat. They'd been laughing over something that'd happened in science class, just messing around as usual, waiting for Jaime's mom to pick them up. Jaime was having a party that night, but it didn't start until 6:30, and Meredith and Darcy were going to help her get ready. Jaime's mom had driven up in her just-waxed Porsche, and had insisted snapping a picture, saying they were just "so adorable." Meredith remembered the uncomfortable feeling of Jaime and Darcy's heavily covered arms resting around her neck, and the big, fake smile she had plastered on right before the camera clicked. They had driven to Jaime's 3-story-mansion, Meredith, Darcy, and Jaime talking quietly in the backseat. "Did you see Mr. Evanston today? He was in the hallway when I went to the bathroom during third period, and I swear to God his toupee was slipping off!"_

_"So Meredith," Mrs. Robinson's voice had said from the front seat. "How's your mother's career going?"_

_"Great, Mrs. Robinson. She just invented the Grey method, and she's a shoo-in for Chief of Surgery next month. She just won the Golden Hands award, we're going to the ceremony in the beginning of January."_

_"Why, that's wonderful, Dear. What about you, Darcy? Your father's business is going well? I spoke to your mother last weekend at the club, she said he's opening another branch."_

_"Yeah. He's thinking about expanding the business out West, maybe open an office in Detroit or Chicago."_

_Mrs. Robinson droned on until they got to the manor, as the young girls tried to tune her out. They'd rushed into Jaime's house, shedding their coats and messing around in her room until the party started._

Meredith took a deep breath. "Not much happened, Iz. What do you think goes on at 13-year-old's Christmas parties?"

"come on, Mer, spill. Just something funny that happened. A crowd of 13-year-olds? You guys must have got into _some_ trouble."

They certainly had. Meredith closed her eyes, remembering.

"_So Jai, are your parents gone?"_

"_Uh huh. They said they'd be back around one."_

"_Wanna raid the wine cellar?"_

_Meredith had raised her head, looking at the boy who had spoken._

"_I brought beer, if anyone wants some. My big brother bought if for me. It better be good, I had to give him nearly a month's allowance." _

"_Yeah, give me one."_

_The party had gotten underway, with several kids breaking out the drinks. It was the first time Meredith had seriously drunk. "I think I've had enough," she mumbled, clutching her stomach. Jaime nodded in agreement from her seat on the couch in the living room._

"_Dar? You okay?" Mer asked, feeling her friend's tiny head roll towards her._

"_Dar?"_

"_DARCY!"_

"Nothing happened, Izzie. A couple kids brought beer, but-"

"Beer? Weren't you guys in like sixth grade?"

"Eighth."

"So what happened?"

"Darcy drank too much liquor and passed out. We were scared to call 911, but we had to. They rushed her to the hospital." Meredith paused. "My mother was on-call." "Oh, no," Izzie murmured.

_"What are you doing here?"_

_"Mom, my friend is sick. Darcy Jacobs? She fainted at Jaime's Christmas party?"_

_"Meredith! Are you drunk? Is that what you guys were doing? Where were the parents? Why do you have to bother me, EMBARRASS me, while I'm at work?" Ellis Grey was furious._

_"Mom, I'm sorry," Meredith whispered._

_"I don't want to hear your apologies. I want you to take this," She paused, rummaged around in the pocket of her scrubs, pulled out her wallet, and handed Meredith some cash, "Go outside, and call a cab. Go home and wait for me there. I won't be back till late, so you better be asleep when I get home."_

_"Yes, Mom."_

_"And Meredith? I wouldn't count on attending the awards ceremony next week. Not now."_

_"Yes, Mom." She turned to leave._

_"Stand up straight! You're walking, not falling down a flight of stairs!"_

_Meredith walked dizzily into the cold, dark night._

"Was she okay?"

"Yes. It turned out it wasn't even the alcohol. Her appendix was inflamed."

"That must have sucked, though."

"Yeah."

"Do you still talk to them?"

"Not really. We sort of split up when we got to high school. You know how some kids get. I think Darcy lives in Chicago, her dad opened up a branch of his business there. Jaime moved to Salem right after high school, I think she's still married to the guy she dated in high school."

Izzie smiled. "That's sweet."

Meredith shrugged.

"What are you guys talking about?" George stepped into the room.

Meredith looked up at him and smiled, opening her mouth to tell another story.


End file.
